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Ava, the Shepherd
Ava originates from Cleveland, Ohio, where she was born just a few years before the bombs dropped. On the day of, they were at a subway station with her mother Grace, where they took shelter along with other survivors. The station eventually evolved into a settlement, although ran by paranoia and fear about the outside world. Ava's mother was a tenacious, intimidating woman who, as part of the guard, fed into those fears herself because she enjoyed the power it gave her over others. That kind of psychological abuse didn't extend to Ava, however. Instead, she taught her daughter to do the same. Over time, the settlement began running out of supplies. Along with scavenging, they decided to open their doors to trading with outsiders - but with things in short supply, they had almost nothing to offer back. In the end, they had to resort to raiding to survive. Their makeshift weapons were slowly swapped out for better gear as they got better at pillaging. Not all of them agreed with these actions though - part of the community tried to break off. But Grace took charge, and threatened them with violence if they left. Armed to her teeth, and with more than a dozen faithful supporters at her side, she easily hampered their efforts. As punishment, the rebels were given no food rations for a few days. Then smaller ones from that point on, just for having the nerve to try to pull something like that. Lastly, they were forced to do the more dangerous work of scouting for supplies in the irradiated ruins of the city. Ava, at age 17 and already skilled with a rifle, was tasked with keeping them in line. And that she did. Anyone who thought about opposing her was met with a bullet. Not fatal, but enough to get the message across. Maybe a finger came off. Sometimes it was a cap to the knee. Whatever needed to be done to make sure the lesser ones knew their place. Grace eventually became overzealous, getting herself killed in a dangerous raid that involved going further out than ever before. Her daughter Ava was left with half the gang, and the labourers still at the subway station. She took over what her mother established, and built upon it, making a trade out of enslaving and selling the settlers of post-war Cleveland. Now, already well equipped, the gang's raids were devastating in the full sense of the word, leaving behind no items and no people - only destruction. Anyone who opposed Ava was made an example - their bodies chopped up and stuck on poles. That included any internal rebellion. Ava and her gang made their way to Pittsburgh in 2099, after Cleveland had nothing more to offer. They had grown to large numbers by then, making the journey a bit less dangerous; for Ava at least. It was in Pittsburgh that she met Salem. She was captivated by him and his teachings. Most of her gang joined The Marked willingly, branding themselves with a sideways Y on their stomachs to prove their devotion. The others - fearing this new alliance - were either forced to, or turned into slaves. Over time, Ava became one of Salem's closest subordinates due to her strong belief in his system, the ability to make people submit, and willingness to carry out violent acts. She climbed up and became an Apostle, the highest rank given out to only the most trusted and capable members of The Marked. Her more known title or moniker, however, is The Shepherd - she's someone who led her flock to Salem, and is responsible for wrangling the slaves (or Craven as they're referred to). Not being in charge anymore suited her just fine, as she always preferred being the #2 - the guy behind the guy, who gets shit done. One day in 2101, Ava failed an order. Or she believed she did, because she didn't hear it in a fit of rage at a moment that required her to exercise restraint. Instead of shackling an enemy raider leader, she brutally killed him in Salem's presence. After the fact - by her own volition - she cut off her right ear, saying "I'll listen better next time." The random outbursts of rage were beginning to become a problem. Pittsburgh was completely polluted, with the toxins getting to everyone, causing these outbursts and mutations. The Marked decided to move on to new territories, making its way to Appalachia. Death After the events in Morgantown, the Marked settled temporarily at the Top of the World. Loyal as she was, Ava vowed to Salem that she would find the Responders after they got away from them at the airport. Taking just a small team with her - Brick, a member of her old gang, a scout from the Nights, and a teenage captive they also found in the Shallows - they set off to search for any clues as to the Responders' whereabouts. Not long after leaving, however, they encountered a fissure site, where a Scorchbeast attacked them. Brick died in this encounter, and Ava was left with her right wrist broken. Unbeknownst to her, she also contracted the Scorched plague. The three remaining group members made their way south after following up on a clue from Darrel Red, and eventually reached Spruce Knob. There was nobody in sight, which angered Ava to the point of throwing the scout out of the tower. Ava and the teenage captive were the only ones left. Strangely enough, she seemed to treat the teenager with much less disdain than anyone else. Perhaps it was because she was nice to Ava, especially since she led them to their next stop - The Bend. At this point, Ava's illness progressed to where most of the skin on her arm was gone, and she felt incredibly weak. The teenager actually carried her rifle for her. The Bend rejected them on the grounds of being infected, since some of the children inside haven't received their vaccinations yet. The two had to move on. They stopped just over the hill from Uncanny Caverns, where they encountered a cultist shrine near the Riverside Manor. It's here where they met General Tsosie and Plums. The Scorched plague had taken over half of Ava's face, and she was already blind on one eye, moving very slowly, and her breathing was painful and sounded raspy. After an unpleasant exchange, the general shot out both of Ava's knees and intended to leave her to petrify. The teenager mercy shot Ava with her own railway rifle and nailed her head to the ground. Later, it was revealed the teenager was Peanut. PERSONALITY Characteristics: loyal, ruthless, hateful Ava is loyal to a fault, and will follow any order that comes from Salem. She's not mindless or dumb; however, she agrees with his vision of the world. Being a loyal disciple, as well as the one who tends to The Marked's "flock" of slaves, means the title The Shepherd is well-deserved. Even if her idea of tending to them means handing out beatings, working them until they collapse, and denying them their humanity. In that sense, there isn't much that separates Ava from any other brute out there in the wasteland. She believes the way to survive in the wasteland is to never show weakness, which is why she always makes sure to exert dominance over others. But to truly thrive, you should also bring them down, and make killing them seem like a mercy. Ava is a ruthless individual, who doesn't care about the suffering of others if it means her or the gang getting what they're after. She lacks any sort of empathy. She abuses, beats and enslaves people regardless of who they are and where they came from, whether it's men, women, children. But she especially despises anyone who's mutated. She sees those as not only less than, but utter trash that must be exploited and - after they've outlived their usefulness - eradicated. She believes treating people like this is right. The Bleak justifies this behaviour, it commands it even. While she might have mistreated people in the past without any real reason, with Salem's revelation she found purpose in it - a mission that she will carry out to ensure she reaches The Pyre. Ava is not solely driven by her beliefs, though. She would be deluding herself if she denied that she enjoyed doing these things. This is how she was raised, and what she was taught to do. It's the only thing she knows, and just doesn't want to accept any other way of living, since this gives her the satisfaction she craves. Her "calling" and her place among The Marked are the only things she gives any value. She is otherwise a fairly straightforward person - she doesn't mince words, but she's actually capable of civil interaction. Even with people who stand up to her, but don't do so in a way that challenges her. She generally tolerates the other Apostles and anyone who believes in The Bleak, though she has an extremely short fuse. Ava isn't exactly smart, but she has a lot of experience with people, specifically how they react in certain scenarios - how victims of a raid usually behave, how captives will plead and bargain, and the various tricks people tend to use to try and get out of these situations. She practically has a lifetime of raiding experience behind her, and she didn't get where she is because she was lucky. Appearance & Outfit Defining features: right ear cut off with deep scar going down her neck, sideways Y shaped brand on the side of her stomach Ava believes looking intimidating already does half the job - and she might be right, as no slave or underling dares look at her without being addressed. Her armor is crudely put together with metal plates, rebar spikes, and chains, giving her a threatening look while also serving its function. Her outfit underneath consists of a dirty top, and torn trousers. Ava is slim, but well built. Her face is a testament to many a days spent out in the wasteland - it's scarred and usually dirty, with her mouth stuck in a scowl. Her piercing eyes do a lot of the talking, as they convey her disgust with others' existence pretty well without her even saying a word. Ava is usually seen carrying a railway rifle, with a supply of spikes tucked away in the bags on her belt. When that's not around, she will grab for whatever she can use as a weapon to beat someone - anything from a baseball bat to a metal pole, or a rock on the ground so she can crush their skull with it. Other Weapon: Railway rifle Strengths: Unrelenting in her quests to fulfil her goals Doesn't much care for her life Lots of experience with raiding Weaknesses: Prone to outbursts of rage due to exposure to toxins at Pittsburgh Relies on familiar tactics Tends to take charge, and sometimes steps on toes of other Apostles The Shepherd had an aide who carried the chains for new Craven, named Iron. He's since left the Marked with another raider named Lil, and settled at The Bend. Category:Characters Category:Raiders Category:Deceased